Jan’s Hobby Shop

This place is a horrible mom and pop neighborhood staple! Our experience was one of the worst. My husband and I were looking for a beginners drone for our son so we looked up their shop on Unilocal.My husband went in to inquire about their drones and came out having purchased a product while receiving short answers to his questions and no eye contact. Noticeably upset about his encounter I suggested we take the drone back. Upon entering the store I expressed we weren’t happy with our purchase and would like a refund. The owner, very brusque and in curt tones, pitched the product’s consumer reviews while also saying there was no warranty. The cashier who must be his mother asked why we’d buy a product just to bring it back and slammed my money down on the counter. I told them they had the worst customer service and walked out. Take your business elsewhere because they certainly don’t want it.

Fun place if not a little cluttered making it a little difficult to see the trees from the forest. The «scary» lady I was expecting was eccentric, but very chatty and offered lots of interesting info. Overpriced slightly, but a good place to search for some interesting kits etc

This place is great. Tons of models all over, great selections of paints and other tools that you need to make the models. So much cooler experience buying from this shop than if you buy on Amazon. Sure, Amazon is a few bucks cheaper but then you don’t get the experience of looking around and taking your time and forgetting about the madness going on in your life. I don’t know what the old lady’s name is but she’s definitely a character and always been fine with me. It’s an old shop with an old lady working there, old people and places aren’t always puppy dogs and roses, it’s how it is. Places (and people) like this is what made and makes New York City so great, not all the safe national chains that are taking the city over.

We live in the neighborhood and walk past this shop almost every weekend. It looks like they have a huge selection of model vehicles among other items which can be categorized as «hobby related». This past weekend, we were walking past and saw a neat model MTA bus in the window display. My wife went into the store to inquire about it for our son. The old lady behind the counter (frowning the entire time) pointed out where it was located in the store, and when my wife brought it up to pay for it she was told that cash was preferred. The lady explained that the shop had to pay a service charge for credit card transactions and if my wife wanted to use her credit card the price would be $ 43 (vs $ 35). My wife politely told her that we didn’t have cash and that we might return later.
An $ 8 mark up for CC use is more than 20% of the original price! Way to try to gouge someone who was trying to support your business, you greedy hag. Ordered it from Amazon for $ 25.

Nasty woman, terrible experience. Belligerent, arrogant, and unhelpful. I am in retail and pride my self on creating a positive experience. Its amazing how in this retail environment that the arrogant city belittling customer service attitude still exists. Its only a matter of time before your closed.

After searching for a mom-​and-​pop hobby shop in Manhattan, Jan’s Hobby Shop seemed like the place to go. I had read all the horror reviews about the owner, but did not let that dissuade me, although I was on my guard. I am not even going to attempt to figure out why I had such a different experience, or make any claims or excuses – I’m just gonna say that I had such a great visit! I thought I was gonna be in there just long enough to pick out a model I had in mind, but after over an hour, I had to force myself to leave. I met «Jan,» who is an amazing human being once you get her talking. John was also there helping out for the holidays, and he totally made the experience over-​the-​top. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his model-​building and I learned quite a bit about modeling (something I haven’t done since I was a kid, and honestly, did not think there was that much to learn about it). «Jan» and John made my week; they were friendly, funny, and amazingly helpful. Will definitely be seeing them again. Bring cash (or hit the ATM a block away, like I did).

Went here to look for a Christmas gift recently. Pleasant little shop with a pushy no nonsense man working. Was pretty helpful but didn’t like to be asked many questions and scoffed at my lack of knowledge. I would have made a purchase had I not seen the same item listed for 3 times less at another store across town.

The store is packed floor to ceiling. They have a decent assortment. The «crypt keeper» as someone else called her is abrasive. Maybe it is a cultural thing. I noticed she had an accent. I don’t think it is discrimination again blacks/​hispanics/​asians. I just think she doesn’t have any couth/​social graces.

As a new father I’ve been trying to reconnect with the hobbies of my youth. When the time comes I want to be able to pass the skills and hobbies I enjoyed in the past (in the 80’s) down to my child.
Visiting New York I was THRILLED to find a hobby shop like Jan’s.
The place is a treasure trove of plastic kit models the like of which I haven’t seen for decades. They also have a fair stock of other hobby toys and supplies (although only bare bones RC) but it was the plastic kits that impressed me the most, as these are what I remember most fondly from my childhood.
I spent some time speaking to the staff and was pleased to find a level of knowledge and passion that matched the depth of the shops inventory. Apparently the shop has been under the same ownership for 40 years or so and there is a beautiful display cabinet filled with meticulously assembled and painted models to prove it.
I made it clear that I was only visiting and wouldn’t be able to spend a lot of money there but I was still given a lot of time by the staff who suggested a cheap and accessible entry model that would get me back in the game. Furthermore, I was given detailed advice about painting and building techniques which hopefully will eventually translate to a finished product (after perhaps a few years of practice!) as impressive as those displayed in store!
I purchased the cheap entry level model and enjoyed assembling it on my hotel counter. A few days later I returned to Jan’s with the model and had it critically appraised — with pointers given as to how I can improve my technique!
It is difficult nowadays to find brick and mortar stores that cater to a niche market. If you do find one, they can be intimidating and unwelcoming to a layperson. I am so glad to say that Jan’s is the rare exception — with amazing stock and friendly, knowledgable staff to back it up.
I encourage all new dads (and mums who are so inclined!) to venture out and support this store. It is an asset which not all neighbourhoods, or even cities can boast.

When you want to throw back and geek out in a very, very oldschool fashion, you head to Jan’s. Every now and then I get the desire to go back to my very nerdy (and virginal) days of putting together model airplanes. I remember going here as a kid when it was at the old location on york ave. It’s great to see that this slice of UES dorkiness has not changed a bit. Good times.

Unilocal requires a minimum of one star. It breaks my heart that Jan’s Hobby Shop isn’t accepting of ALL PEOPLE. My nephew was there today with our family friend. They intended to purchase a model car.
They were cornered a number of times and an older woman stood about 3 inches from them, watching their every move. My nephew said that he was scared.
They were made to feel so uncomfortable that they decided to leave without making a purchase. As they started to leave, they were chased out of the store. When I called Jan’s to ask questions about model cars and about the incident, the woman who claimed she was the owner yelled at me and accused me of lying. She later said she had to be careful in business because of «certain types of people.» She wouldn’t elaborate on the types of people she was referring to.
When I asked if she was familiar with the NYC human rights law, her response was no.
I highly recommend Jan’s Hobby Shop as an excellent example of discrimination based on race and perceived socioeconomic class. A reminder to Jan and her team, looking is free and perfectly OK if one is respectful and polite. Our dear friend and my nephew were both those things and were treated like criminals.
For Jan’s:
What the Law Covers
The NYC Human Rights Law, Title 8 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, prohibits discrimination in New York City. Individuals are protected from discrimination in many areas, based on a number of protected classes.
Areas Covered by the Human Rights Law:
Employment
Housing
Public accommodations (doctor’s offices, stores, theaters, stadiums, taxi cabs, etc.)
Retaliation
Bias-​related harassment
Protected Classes under the Human Rights Law:
Race
Creed
Color
Age
National origin
Alienage or citizenship status
Gender (including gender identity and sexual harassment)
Sexual orientation
Disability
Marital status and partnership status
Additional protections are afforded in employment based on:
Arrest or conviction record
Status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sex offenses
Unemployment status
Additional protections are afforded in housing based on:
Lawful occupation
Family status
Lawful source of income my né

Good selection of tools, paints, and other supplies. The store is PACKED with kits. It’s a very valuable NYC hobby resource.

picked princess up from ballet yesterday. been haunted by the need for a great birthday gift for my nephew.
so we stop in one of those niche toy stores that looks as though it’s been plucked form a child’s imagination.
i announced my arrival, knowing how crazy the UES can be: «i am only looking, & pricing for a gift for an 11 year old.»
the crypt keeper @ the counter neither acknowledged me one way or the other. within 5 min, i picked up a (not fragile) toy, & since she was right behind me, she was able to snatch it out of my hand.
«we are not allowed to handle the toys @ a toy store?» i queried.
apparently not. she muttered something like, ‘it doesn’t matter.’ except it did.
not proud of what followed, but after mentioning to the crypt keeper that everyone’s money is green, i stormed out of the store.
i had not yet had the race talk w/​my daughter. i didn’t want to make her defensive/​neurotic. i wanted to see what her impressions were first. deal w/​things on a case by case basis. let her ask me, & then do the do.
still in light of (where do i start!!!) recent events, i knew it was coming, & boy was it:
«sweetie, why do you think that woman was acting like that?»
«Because of our skin.»
stopping in my tracks, i said, «what made you say that? why do you know that?»
«No reason. just know. actually, most white people are mean.»
& that, friends, is how i spent an entire crosstown ride trying to pick my jaw up.
& how, short lecture on bullying/​generalizing later, & this morning’s reading project was «I Have A Dream»
ps: please do not shop here — or, if you do, please give this broad a piece of your mind, & please! brook no bullshit:
Jan’s Hobby Shop
Address: 1435 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10 128
Phone:(212) 987‑4765
Hours: Saturday 10:00 am — 6:30 pm

Interesting store. Stupendously overpacked with boxes of plastic models from every era/​country/​subject. Problem is though, every time I’ve been in this store I’ve heard the owner making anti-​Semitic wisecracks. Every time!

Adorable hobby shop. Unique neighborhood shop.
Great gifts for kids. Unique hand made collector ships on display
made by one of the owners.
Staff is helpful.
Truly a find on the Upper Eastside.

Awesome, an old school model store stuffed to the ceiling with all kinds of models.

Pretty cool little store. Having read the reviews before going in, I knew what to expect from the shopkeep, so that didn’t bother me. Went into this store because my nephew and father like playing with army men, and my father seemed pretty impressed with the selection.

Decent hobby store with good selection of static model, RC boats (great for summer in central park!), and hobby supply. As far as I can tell, thier static model collections are up to the speed, always new itmes on the shelf and always fun to just watch… okay so I bought some. haha.
Upper east side pricing for sure, but I doubt any tourists will come buy hobby items in the city.
Cleaner than other hobby shops in the city. The owner and his buds seem to live there. Be aware that they are building models IN the store so you may experience some paint fume reaction (yeeehaaaaaa)

Jan’s is a hobby shop that caters mainly to the static model builder, that is, injection-​molded plastic kits. If this is your thing, then this is the place. The smallish space is jammed with current, past, and hard-​to-​find out-​of-​production plastic kits. Subjects center around aircraft, automobilia, ships and militaria. The are adequate stores of tools, adhesves, paints and reference materials as well.
There is little or no attention paid to RC or crafts, there are a small amount of diecast collectibles and a small store of scratchbuilding supplies. The staff is friendly and Very knowledgeable about their area: go there immediately if the above fits your criteria.

«Models, kits, supplies, reference works»: just got a gift certif there. WIll see…